Atlanta City Council OKs restrictions on dockless, shareable e-scooters, bikes

In a perfect world, Atlanta’s scourge of e-scooter litter could soon be curbed, thanks to newly passed city council legislation.

On Monday, Atlanta lawmakers elected—almost unanimously—to adopt an ordinance that will regulate how dockless, shareable scooters and bikes are operated within city limits and ban them from roving on local sidewalks.

The first rentable e-scooters, Birds, touched down in Atlanta in May, and have since become a saving grace for commuters seeking last-mile connectivity and a plague for pedestrians (and some business owners) both able-bodied and not.

The new laws not only prohibit scooter and bike users from whirring down public rights of way beside streets; they also require operators to pay $12,000 for permits for up to 500 vehicles. (Each e-scooter after the first 500 will cost companies $50).

The scooters, per the new laws, will also be restricted by a 15-mile-per-hour speed limit, which Uber reps say will not impact the JUMP bike program that offers shareable, electric-powered, ostensibly faster bicycles for a fee similar to scooters.